Mining Dumps, Pitheaps and Wasteponds
Mining dumps and heaps are an integral part of landscape in Sokolovsko, Mostecko, Kladensko and Ostravsko regions due to a long tradition of brown and black coal mining.
Unfortunately, the majority of dumps and heaps was technically reclaimed and only a negligible area has been left to spontaneous succession despite a long-standing effort of restoration ecologists (Karel Prach, Jan Frouz, Ondřej Mudrák,...) and clear and scientifically sound results.
Surprisingly, wasteponds have also proven to be a suitable habitats for many competitively weak species of plants and animals. Although spontaneous succession works also in these extreme habitats, technical measures for their restoration still prevail because of the threat of wind erosion.
